Jerusalem: Holy Week on foot — Pilgrims

The last week of Jesus' life, day by day from Palm Sunday to Easter, almost all on foot: down the Mount of Olives, through the Old City to Gethsemane, Mount Zion and the Holy Sepulchre, and out to Emmaus on Easter day. It can be walked in any week of the year; in Holy Week itself the churches keep these days at the same places.

Western and Orthodox Easter often fall on different dates, and in Holy Week the Old City is very crowded; on Holy Saturday and Easter it is not always possible to get into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Walking trail, 1 km · Via Dolorosa

Day 1 · Palm Sunday

Song of Ascents: Psalms 120

Bethany: Tomb of LazarusJohn 11:38–44The tomb, entered down steep steps; a Franciscan church of 1954 over three earlier churches, and a Greek Orthodox church of 1965.
BethphageMatt 21:1–9A small Franciscan chapel, given its present form in 1954, from which the Palm Sunday procession sets out over the Mount of Olives.≈ 1 km from the stop before
Dominus FlevitLuke 19:37–44A small church shaped like a teardrop, built in 1956 over a Byzantine chapel; its west window looks straight at the Old City.≈ 1 km from the stop before

Day 2 · Monday to Wednesday: the temple and the Mount of Olives

Song of Ascents: Psalms 121

Southern Steps of the Temple MountMark 11:15–17Wide steps of the 1st century and the blocked gates of the temple's south wall, uncovered by excavations begun in 1968, in an archaeological park.≈ 1 km from the stop before
Pater Noster churchMatt 24:1–3A Carmelite convent of the 19th century whose cloister walls carry the Lord's Prayer on tiles in well over a hundred languages, and the restored cave.≈ 1 km from the stop before

Day 3 · Holy Thursday

Song of Ascents: Psalms 122

Upper Room (Cenacle)Mark 14:12–16A vaulted Gothic hall of the Crusader period, restored in the 14th century; below it, the venerated tomb of David.≈ 2 km from the stop before
Gethsemane: Basilica of the AgonyMark 14:32–36The Basilica of the Agony, or Church of All Nations, consecrated in 1924 over Byzantine and Crusader remains, beside a walled garden of old olives.≈ 1 km from the stop before
St Peter in GallicantuLuke 22:54–62A church of 1931 with a rooster on its roof, over rock-cut chambers shown as a prison, beside ancient stone steps down to the Kidron valley.≈ 1 km from the stop before

Day 4 · Good Friday

Song of Ascents: Psalms 123

Ecce Homo and the LithostrotosJohn 19:5The convent of the Sisters of Zion, founded in 1857; inside, part of a Roman arch and a large stone pavement scored with the boards of ancient games.≈ 1 km from the stop before
Via DolorosaJohn 19:16–17Narrow streets of the Old City, mostly markets, with the stations marked on the walls; the last five are inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.≈ 0 km from the stop before
Church of the Holy SepulchreJohn 19:17–18A Crusader church consecrated in 1149 over the remains of Constantine's, shared by several churches; inside, the rock of Golgotha and the Edicule over the tomb.≈ 0 km from the stop before

Day 5 · Holy Saturday

Song of Ascents: Psalms 124

Stone of AnointingJohn 19:38–40A slab of reddish stone, laid in 1810 after a fire, just inside the entrance of the church, with lamps hanging above.≈ 0 km from the stop before
The Edicule: the TombMatt 27:59–61A small shrine under the great dome, rebuilt in 1810 and restored in 2017; pilgrims enter a few at a time through a low door.≈ 0 km from the stop before

Day 6 · Easter Sunday

Song of Ascents: Psalms 125

The Garden TombJohn 19:41–42A quiet garden north of the Damascus Gate with a rock-cut tomb, kept by the Garden Tomb Association since 1894; groups hold services in it.≈ 1 km from the stop before
Emmaus NicopolisLuke 24:13–16Ruins of a Byzantine basilica with mosaics and of a Crusader church, in a park looked after by the Community of the Beatitudes.≈ 24 km from the stop before

Before you travel, check your country’s travel advice. Opening hours and the rules of the sites change — see their official pages.

Land outlines: Natural Earth (public domain).